Betting and Gambling Council Recommends The Establishment of Gambling Ombudsman To The UK Government To Tackle Consumer Concerns. (Image Photo by Heather Gill on Unsplash)
The BGC (Betting and Gaming Council), the trade body of the gambling industry has implored the UK Government to create a gambling Ombudsman figure to tackle consumer concerns. The BGC represents iGaming, online betting and retail gambling operators and has now proposed to the UK Government to develop a legal framework for all betting and gaming firms that operate under a UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission) license to register with the new body.
Some interest groups and campaigners have insisted on the need to establish a gambling mediator for the British gambling division, especially when the British Government is currently reviewing the gambling legislation in the country thoroughly. The mediator will only affect online casinos in the UK, and any other UK gambling operations be it online betting or sports.
Statement from BGC CEO
While speaking on the recommendation, BGC CEO, Michael Dugher stated that:
The trade body of the gambling industry remains strong in its determination to improve the standards in the regulated gaming and betting industry.
Dugher also shared that the BGC hopes that the UK Government will be favourable to its calls for the creation of the Gambling mediator figure as soon as the ongoing gambling review comes to an end. The Betting and Gaming Council acknowledges the significance of additional changes that will be brought to the industry while they also claimed that a new Gambling mediator would be a step in the right direction with regards to tackling customer concerns.
There Are Already-Existing Systems in The UK Gambling Sector to Address Customer Complaints
Tom Watson was the first to unveil the idea of creating a Gambling Ombudsman figure some years ago when he was the Labour party’s deputy leader. As contained in the proposal, the labour party was seeking for the establishment of a new body that will be equivalent to the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and dedicated to providing consumer protection and data transparency, which keeps customers safe and avoid situations in which gamblers bet more than they can afford.
The proposed Gambling Ombudsman figure will also ensure that financial compensation is paid when necessary. According to a report in 2021, the Social Market Foundation implored the UK Government to put an ombudsman figure in control of the operator data that is essential to implement contentious affordability checks of gambling consumers.
Conor Grant, the CEO of Flutter Entertainment’s Ireland and United Kingdom unit backed the proposal, and he added that his firm’s business has always been focused on providing its customers with great entertainment. Grant added that Flutter Entertainment is equally oriented towards remaining in line with the safer gambling practices in the country, which have been faced with lots of enhancements and modifications over the past few years.
The BCG recognised that certain systems are already in place to deal with customers’ complaints but they also proposed the Gambling Ombudsman figure to boost the process and bring about more consistent procedures. This proposal for the establishment of the Gambling Ombudsman could put the existing dispute regulation bodies like the IBAS (Independent Betting Adjudication Service) at risk but we will see what will happen to them in the coming months.
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